Phonograph-stop.



. ADAIR.

PHONOGRAPH STOP.

APPLICATIGN FILED JAM. n, 1915.

Patnted Mar. 21,1916.

3 SHEETS'SHEET I.

M ADM. PHONOGRAPH STOP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. i1. 1915- Fatented 2L 1916.

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PHONOGRAPH STOP.

APPLICATEON FILED JAN. 1! x915.

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MONTAGUE ADAIR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PHONOGRAPH-STOP.

Application filed January 11, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MONTAGUE ADAIR, a

I citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Phonograph-Stops, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates generally to a stop mechanism for phonographs or the like in which there is a rotatable element carrying a record having a zone of grooves, and a movable element which has a. motion with respect to said rotatable element during the operation of the machine.

It is Well known that the extent of the zone of grooves of the record varies and in the stopping devices heretofore employed it has usually been the practice to adjust such stopping device to correspond with the extent of the groove zone prior to playing the record, the machine thereby automatically stopping when the end of the record is reached.

It is the main object of this invention to provide means whereby such adjustment, to fit it to each individual record, will be rendered unnecessary so that the machine will stop automatically when the end of the record is reached, irrespective of the extent of the zone of grooves.

In carrying out this and other objects the invention is characterized by a controller which is carried by the movable element and which by its engagement with the grooves of the record will control the moment that the braking element shall be permitted to operate. Preferably the braking element is also carried by the movable element and is under the influence of a latch which normally restrains its action, said latch being in turn controlled by the controller engaging the record.

It is clear that the controller must be of a peculiar character in order to obtain this result in a practical manner. The necessary characteristics of this controller are that it must be non-playing, that is to say, its engagement with the record grooves must not produce a tune or a scratch; it must notinjure the record; it must not retard the rotation of the rotatable member; it must not Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 1,556.

sensibly increase the pressure with which the sound reproducing stylus engages the record. To this end I have found that a brush makes an ideal non-playing follower for controlling the braking element in that it possesses all the characteristics above enumerated and has in addition the further characteristic that it cleans the record as the latter passes underneath the brush. This brush will preferably .be set with its bristles slightly inclined and with their ends extending in the direction of rotation of the rotatable member so as to produce a soft and yielding engagement with the record.

The braking element controlled by the controller is preferably mounted on the movable element such as the swinging arm in such a way that it has a pivotal movement when engaging the record, said pivotal movement being of, such a character that the braking element swings into engagement with the record in the direction of rotation of the record so that the rotation of the record once the braking element has initially engaged the same will of itself serve to additionally clamp the braking element more securely into position.

Other features of construction, arrangement of parts and combination of elements will appear as the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is illustrated in a preferred form from which form departures may be made within the scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the said drawings: Figure l is a conventional representation in plan of an ordinary phonograph showing the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of both braking devices showing their relation to the rotatable element and to the record carried thereby, as well as to the movable element or swinging arm. Fig. 3 is a view of the end of the movable element or swinging arm and sound reproducer showing the braking element in its released position. Fig. 4 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the means for securing the braking element to the swinging arm. Fig. 6 is a detail view of an adjustable member for properly positioning the controller with re- Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

50 17 of the brackets 9. Extending through the spect to the sound reproducing stylus. Fig. 7 1s a side elevation of a modified form of the I invention showing a cut-out or switch for use when an electric motor is employedto operate the rotatable element. Fig. 8 is a View looking in the direction of the arrow 8, Fig. 7.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the differentviews.

1 indicates a phonograph of the usual type having the rotatable element or record carrier 2 operated in the usual manner andhaving the movable element or swinging arm 3 carrying at its outer endthe sound box 4 of the conventional type, said sound box bein pivo-tally supported on the center 5 in a we 1 the record 7 in the usualmanner.

'ord 7 hasa zone of grooves 8 the extent of known manner and having a sound reproducing stylus 6 which engages the grooves of The recwhich varies with the length of the different records to be played.

9 indicate two brackets which are slipped over the sound box 4 and which are held in position on the said sound box and connected together by means of transverse bolts as 10. Pivotally supported on these brackets is a braking element 11, one arm of which carries a brake shoe 12 of rubber or other similar material, which brake shoe is adaptedto .engage the record to stop the rotation of the the rotation of the rotatable element. Normally and during the time that the record isbeing played, the braking element 11 is -in the position. shown in Fig. 2. When in that positionthe arm 13 of the braking element 11 is held latched by the latch 14. This latch is carried. bv a tilting frame or guide 15 pivotally supported at 16 in the member tilting guide 15 is the follower '18 provided at its lower end with the brush 19 which is set with its bristles at a slight incline with their ends extendlng in the direction of rotation' of the rotatable element as shown.

1 The upper end of the member 18 carriesa weight 20 and the lengths of the member 18 and of .the guide 15 with' respect to each other, as well as the disposition of the weight 20, is suchthat this weight preferably does not bear against the guide 15 but is exerted v wholly on the brush 19. This brush or follower-19 engagesthe' record grooves and is of sufficient stability to maintain the tilting guide 15 in a substantially vertical position with a slight bias to one side, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

30 and 31 indicate/two stops for limiting the movement of the braking element 11.

When it is desired to play a record the sound reproducing stylus 6 is placed in engagement with the record as usual and the braking element 11 is elevated and its arm 13 brought in under the latch 14:, thereby bringing the non-playingfollower 19 into a substantially vertical position and causing the said non-playing follower 19 to engage the record grooves at the same time that the sound reproducing stylus 6 is placed in engagement with the record. Upon the-rotation of the record the swinging arm 3 moves across the zone of grooves in the usual manner under the traveling influence of the sound reproducer 6 and the non-playing follower 19 likewise follows the grooves until the swinging arm 3 has moved across the zoneof grooves sufficiently to bring the nonplaying follower 19 to the edge of the groove zone. The swinging arm 3 will now cdntinue its transverse movement but the nonplaying follower or controller 19 will have a tendency to cling to the edge grooves, that is, those grooves which are adjacent to the smooth central portion of the record. These will gradually cause the guide 15 to tilt until the weight 20 overbalances it, thereby releasing the arm 13 of the braking element I 11, which latter thereupon descends by reason of gravity or otherwise into engagement with the record, stops the machine, and elevates the sound reproducing stylus out of engagement with the record.

In order to counterbalance any slight ad- I ditional weight that might be placed on the sound box, a counterweight 21 may be mounted onthe center 5. The member 17 (Fig. 6) is secured to the brackets 9 by means of the set screws 22 which pass through the elongated slots 23 so that the distance laterally between the sound reproducing stylus 6 and the non-playing follower may be properly determlned. This adjustment is made practically once for all. By the above-means it will be observed that, irrespective of the extent of the zone of grooves in the record, the rotatable element 2 will be automatically stopped when the movable element or swinging arm has moved across the said zone of grooves and that no adjustment is necessary for each record which it is desired to play.

The auxiliary braking device 24: is pivoted at 25 and has a braking element 26 extend-. ing inunder the rotatable element 2 and normally in its lower position by reason of its own weight Carried by the other end of the device 24 is a support 27 which extends up at a pointadjacent to the rotatable element and in such a posigon that when the.

movable element or swinging arm 3 is moved out of playing position it will naturally depress the supporting member 27 thereby causing the braking element 26 to move upwardly into engagement with the rotatable element 2. When the arm 3 is removed from the supporting member 27 the rotatable element 2 will commence to rotate and will be up to proper speed by the time the operator places the sound reproducer in engagement with the record. The record is then played and the rotatable element is antomatically stopped and the sound reproducing stylus elevated by the braking element 11 after which the movable element or swinging arm is moved into position on the supporting member 27 and the rotatable member held against rotation. This renders the usual manually operated stop unnecessary in that the mere removal of the movable element or swinging arm from playing position operates a brake, while its removal into playing position releases the brake.

In the modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the movable member or swinging arm 3 is provided with two terminals 32 which are carried by the insulation piece 33 suitably attached to said swinging arm. To these terminals lead the conductors 34 and 35, one of which may pass to an electric motor and the other to the line. Secured to the braking element 11 is a circuit closer 36 suitably insulated therefrom and adapted when the sound reproducing stylus is in engagement with the record and the braking element 11 is in its latched position to bridge the two terminals .32, thereby completing the circuit through the motor. Upon the. releasing of the latch 14: and upon the downward movement of the braking element 11 into engage ment with the record, the circuit closer 36 moves out of engagement with the two terminals 32 and ruptures the circuit through the motor. In this form of the invention the braking element may be unnecessary since the rupture of the circuit will eventually bring the rotatable element to a stop. Also in thisform of the invention it will not be necessary to employ the auxiliary braking element 26.

IVhat is claimed, is:

1. A stop mechanism for a machine having a rotatable element carrying a record having a zone of grooves, and a movable element, comprising: a braking element carried by the movable element and normally inactive, and means controlled by the groove zone irrespective of its extent for causing the braking element to stop the rotation of the rotatable element when the movable element has moved across said zone.

2. A stop mechanism for a machine having a rotatable element carrying a record having a zone of grooves, and a movable element, comprising: a braking element car-' ried by the movable element normally inactive, and a tilting latch for said braking element having a normal bias in one direction to release the braking element, and a follower engaging the grooves of the record to prevent said latch from tilting until the movable element passes across the zone of grooves.

4. A stop mechanism for a machine having a rotatable element carrying 'a record having a zone of grooves, and a movable element comprising: a braking element normally inactive, a latch for normally holding said braking element inactive, and a nonplaying follower engaging the grooves of the record for holding said latch in its latched position until the movable element hasmoved across the groove zone.-

5. A stop mechanism for a machine havi'ng'a rotatable element carrying a record having a zone of grooves, and a movable element, comprising: a braking element carried by the movable element, a latch for normally holding said braking element inactive also carried by the movable element, and means controlled by the extent of the groove zone for releasing the latch when the movable element has traveled across the groove zone irrespective of the extent of the latter.

6. In a stop mechanism for a machine having a rotatable element carrying a record having a zone of grooves, and a movable element, a braking element pivotally supported on the movable element and having a movement swinging it into engagement with the record in the same direction as the rotation of the record, a latch for holding said braking element inactive, and means controlled by the zone of grooves for automatically releasing the latch when the end of. the record is reached regardless of the extent of the zone of grooves.

7. In a stop mechanism for a machine having a rotatable element carrying a record having a zone of grooves, and a movable element, a braking element, and a latching and releasing device comprising: a tilting member having a bias in one direction. and a non-playing follower en aging the record grooves controlling said tilting member.

8. In a stop mechanism for a machine having a rotatable element carrying a record 139 having a zone of grooves, and a movable element, a braking element, and a latchingand releasing device comprising: a tilting guide, a stem passing through said guide, a non-playing follower on the lower end of said stem, and a weight on the upper end I of said stem.v

9; In a stop mechanism for a machine having a rotatable element carrymg a record havmg afzone of grooves, and a movable element, abraking element, and a latching and releasing device comprising: a tilting guide, a. stem-passing through said guide, a

MONTAGUE ADAIR.

Witnesses: 1

MARY W. WALLACE, AXEL V. BEEKEN. 

